Beautiful Valborg's grave

You are now standing by the choir wall on the south side of the church. The marble grave, which has a glass roof over it, is called the tomb of ‘Beautiful Valborg’. The position of this grave tells us that the person interred there was either important to the church or held an important position in the local community. It is believed that it could be the builder of the church who is buried there, and that it may therefore be the tomb of Niklas Kuvung. But there is also a tale attached to this grave. The story has several variations, but it refers to Valborg who was from a rich family on Giske. She fell in love with Axel who was from a poor family. It was this difference in status that meant that they could not be together. They both took this hard, Valborg drowned in the fjord inside the island, whilst Axel died of sickness a few years later. Valborg was buried on the South side of the church where the rich folk were buried. The poor lay on the North side and that is where Axel was buried. It is said that there was a tree beside both graves and that their branches grew and intertwined over the church roof. Symbolising that they got to be together in heaven! ‘Beautiful Valborg’s’ tomb is one of 6 listed tombs in Norway.